The Glen Ridge School District operates with a 5-Year curriculum renewal cycle.

Rationale:

The Glen Ridge Public Schools maintains and implements approximately 230 curricula in 13 content areas. By statute, all districts are required to evaluate and, if necessary, revise all district curricula every 5 years. Glen Ridge meets and exceeds this standard. Additionally, changes in state and national standards, state and national assessment practices, available curriculum materials, district leadership, and trends in the field can cause more frequent modifications to district programs.

It is absolutely critical that teachers are provided the support, training, instructional resources and positive educational climate to successfully implement district programs in all content areas. This is why we have a systematic process in place to evaluate, develop, and implement all curricula in a manner that allocates district resources wisely and effectively. The Glen Ridge Public School 5-Year Curriculum Renewal Cycle is a systematic process.

Overview:

Curriculum renewal is a 4-step cyclical process by which all district curricula is analyzed and designed in a systematic and collaborative manner. The process provides for a comprehensive evaluation of each district program content, an inclusive development process, a thoughtful and careful implementation, revision based on experience, and time for program effectiveness to be realized.

This model will assure that only one major content area is revised or developed in a given year. This has several benefits. The model will facilitate effective and fiscally responsible use of district resources. Budget allocations for supplies and materials, textbooks and staff development can be focused on the successful implementation of the revisions or new program. Additionally, this phased approach to curriculum renewal will facilitate teachers’ focus in implementing new programs by allowing them to concentrate on one major content area at a time rather than attempting to manage multiple initiatives. This model will be phased in according to the following table.